refrigerator

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigerator, which includes a box body, a main door and a sub-door; the refrigerator also includes a translation lock, an elastic member, a lock catch and an unlocking part, the translation lock can be installed on the main door to reciprocate between a locking position and an unlocking position, the elastic member is installed on the main door, and is configured to apply an elastic pre-tightening force to the translation lock to urge it to move toward the locking position, the lock catch is arranged on the sub-door, and the unlocking part is arranged on the box body, and the refrigerator is configured to: when the main door is in an open state and the sub-door is in a closed state, the translation lock is in a locked position and locked with the lock catch, so that the sub-door is locked to the main door; and at the end of the sub-door moving back and closing with the main door, the unlocking part urges the translation lock to overcome the elastic pre-tightening force and move to the unlocking position, so as to release the lock between the sub-door and the main door. The refrigerator of the present invention adopts a purely mechanical device to prevent the sub-door from being abnormally opened when the main door is opened, and has a simple structure, and is safe and reliable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to refrigeration and freezing technology, in particular to a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of home appliance technology, folding door refrigerators have appeared on the market. The main and secondary doors are arranged on the outside of the refrigerator. The interior of the main door defines a storage space for users to store commonly used items, thereby reducing the frequency of users opening the storage space of the box.

[0003] In order to prevent the auxiliary door from being opened abnormally when the main door of the folding door refrigerator is opened, an electromagnetic lock is provided between the main door and the auxiliary door in the prior art. However, this method also has certain defects. For example, the provision of the electromagnetic lock will inevitably increase the cost of the refrigerator and complicate the production process. In addition, it consumes electric energy during use, which makes it difficult to promote. Summary of the invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to overcome at least one defect in the prior art and provide a refrigerator.

[0005] A further object of the present invention is to utilize a mechanical lock to prevent the secondary door from being opened while the main door is opened in a folding door refrigerator.

[0006] Another further object of the present invention is to reduce friction when the translation lock moves between the locked position and the unlocked position.

[0007] In particular, the present invention provides a refrigerator, comprising a box body, a main door rotatably mounted on the front side of the box body, and a sub-door rotatably mounted on the front side of the main door; the refrigerator also includes:

[0008] A translation lock, which is installed on the main door so as to be reciprocatingly translatable between a locking position and an unlocking position;

[0009] an elastic member, mounted on the main door, configured to apply an elastic preload force to the translation lock to urge it to move toward the locking position;

[0010] A lock catch, disposed on the secondary door; and

[0011] The unlocking part is arranged on the box body; and the refrigerator is configured as follows:

[0012] When the main door is in an open state and the secondary door is in a closed state, the translation lock is in the locking position and locked with the lock catch, so that the secondary door is locked to the main door; and

[0013] At the end of the closing of the auxiliary door following the rearward movement of the main door, the unlocking portion causes the translation lock to overcome the elastic preload force and move to the unlocking position, thereby releasing the lock between the auxiliary door and the main door.

[0014] Furthermore, the translation lock can be installed on the main door so as to be able to translate up and down;

[0015] The elastic preload force applied by the elastic member to the translation lock is upward;

[0016] The front side of the unlocking portion has a guiding slope extending gradually from top to bottom and backward;

[0017] During the backward movement of the translation lock, the rear end thereof gradually translates downward under the guidance of the guide slope to reach the unlocking position.

[0018] Furthermore, after the main door is completely closed, the rear end of the translation lock abuts against the bottom of the unlocking portion to be firmly in the unlocking position.

[0019] Furthermore, a accommodating chamber with an opening toward the translation lock is provided on the front side of the box body, and the unlocking portion is in the shape of a long strip extending downward from an upper wall of the accommodating chamber.

[0020] Furthermore, the guiding inclined surface is an arc-shaped surface; and

[0021] The rear end of the translation lock forms an arc-shaped interference slope to smoothly transition with the guide slope.

[0022] Furthermore, the lock buckle extends in a horizontal direction and has a lock hole thereon; and

[0023] The translation lock is provided with a lock pin which matches with the lock hole. When the translation lock is in the locking position, the lock pin extends into the lock hole so that the secondary door is locked to the main door.

[0024] Furthermore, the elastic member is a compression spring, which is arranged on the side of the translation lock away from the lock pin, with a first end connected to the translation lock, and a second end directly or indirectly connected to the main door. It is configured that when the translation lock is in the unlocked position, the elastic member is compressed and generates an elastic pre-load force, and the elastic pre-load force is used to urge the translation lock to move toward the locked position when the main door is opened.

[0025] Furthermore, a mounting box is mounted on the main door along the front-to-back direction, the mounting box has a sleeve facing the translation lock, and the second end of the compression spring is sleeved on the sleeve.

[0026] Furthermore, the translation lock also has a pressing portion extending toward the outside of the main door, and the pressing portion is configured to drive the translation lock to translate in a direction away from the lock buckle when the translation lock is in the locking position, so as to release the lock between the secondary door and the main door.

[0027] Furthermore, door seals are provided on the area where the main door faces the box body, and on the area where the main door faces the auxiliary door, so as to seal the gaps between the main door and the auxiliary door, and between the main door and the box body.

[0028] In the refrigerator of the present invention, since the translation lock can be installed on the main door to reciprocate between a locking position and an unlocking position, the elastic member is installed on the main door, and an elastic preload force is applied to the translation lock to urge it to move toward the locking position, the lock catch is arranged on the secondary door, and the unlocking part is arranged on the cabinet. Therefore, when the main door is opened, the translation lock can move toward the lock catch under the action of the elastic preload force, and the translation lock and the lock catch are locked together; when the main door is closed, the translation lock moves toward the cabinet driven by the main door, and the end of the translation lock close to the cabinet abuts against the unlocking part, and the translation lock moves in a direction away from the lock catch under the action of the unlocking part, and finally when the main door is completely closed, the translation lock and the lock catch are unlocked and in the unlocking position, and the main door and the secondary door are also unlocked. Therefore, the refrigerator of the present invention avoids the situation that the secondary door is abnormally opened when the main door is opened by adopting a purely mechanical device, and the structure is simple, safe and reliable.

[0029] Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the guiding bevel can be set as a smooth arc-shaped surface, and the rear end of the translation lock forms an arc-shaped interference bevel. When the guiding bevel and the interference bevel collide with each other, the friction between them can be reduced, so that the guiding bevel can smoothly transition to the top of the translation lock, and finally the translation lock can be stably in the unlocked position.

[0030] Based on the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will become more aware of the above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Hereinafter, some specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in an exemplary and non-limiting manner with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings indicate the same or similar components or parts. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings:

[0032] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a translation lock in a refrigerator in an unlocked state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0035] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a translation lock in a refrigerator in a locked state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Enlarged view of point B in the middle;

[0037] Figure 6 is a stereoscopic view of an installation box in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "depth" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the position of the storage device in normal use as a reference, and can be determined with reference to the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. For example, the "front" indicating the position refers to the side of the refrigerator facing the user. This is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the present invention.

[0039] See also Figure 1 The present invention provides a refrigerator 10 , which may include a body 100 , a main door 200 , and a sub-door 300 .

[0040] The box body 100 defines a first storage space 110 inside, the first storage space 110 has a first opening facing forward, and the main door 200 is rotatably mounted on the outside of the box body 100 to open and close the first opening. The main door 200 defines a second storage space 210 inside, the second storage space 210 has a second opening facing forward, and the auxiliary door 300 is rotatably mounted on the outside of the main door 200 to open and close the second opening.

[0041] In this embodiment, the first storage space 110 inside the cabinet 100 and the second storage space 210 inside the main door 200 can both be used by the user to store food, and the user can choose to store the items in the first storage space 110 or the second storage space 210 according to the frequency of use or the size of the items. For example, the user can store some items that are used frequently and occupy a small space in the second storage space 210, and store some items that are used less frequently and occupy a large space in the first storage space 110, so that the user can avoid opening the door frequently and reduce heat loss. In addition, the first storage space 110 or the second storage space 210 can divide the storage area of ​​the refrigerator 10, which is conducive to the user to organize the items. In some preferred embodiments, the first storage space 110 can also be the cold storage room of the refrigerator 10.

[0042] See also Figures 1 to 5 The refrigerator 10 of this embodiment may further include a translation lock 400 , an elastic member 500 , a lock catch 600 and an unlocking portion 700 .

[0043] The translation lock 400 can be installed on the main door 200 so as to reciprocate between a locking position and an unlocking position. The elastic member 500 is installed on the main door 200 and is configured to apply an elastic pre-tightening force to the translation lock 400 to urge it to move toward the locking position. The lock buckle 600 is arranged on the sub-door 300, and the unlocking part 700 is arranged on the box body 100.

[0044] The refrigerator 10 is configured such that: when the main door 200 is in an open state and the sub-door 300 is in a closed state, the translation lock 400 is in a locked position and locked with the lock catch 600, so that the sub-door 300 is locked to the main door 200; and at the end of the sub-door 300 moving backward and closing with the main door 200, the unlocking portion 700 causes the translation lock 400 to overcome the elastic pre-tightening force and move to the unlocking position, thereby releasing the lock between the sub-door 300 and the main door 200.

[0045] As described in the background technology section, in order to prevent the auxiliary door from being opened abnormally when the main door of the folding door refrigerator is opened, an electromagnetic lock is provided between the main door and the auxiliary door in the prior art. However, this method also has certain defects. For example, the provision of the electromagnetic lock will inevitably increase the cost of the refrigerator and complicate the production process. In addition, it consumes electrical energy during use, making it difficult to promote.

[0046] In order to overcome the defects of the prior art, the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment adopts a purely mechanical device to prevent the auxiliary door from being abnormally opened when the main door is opened, and has a simple structure and is safe and reliable.

[0047] Specifically, an installation space 220 for accommodating the translation lock 400 can be defined inside the door body of the main door 200. The translation lock 400 is arranged in the installation space 220. The lock catch 600 can be arranged on the side of the secondary door 300 facing the main door 200. The elastic member 500 is arranged in the installation space 220 and provides an elastic preload for the translation lock 400. The elastic preload can make the translation lock 400 have a tendency to move toward the lock catch 600.

[0048] When the main door 200 is opened, the translation lock 400 moves toward the lock catch 600 under the action of the elastic preload, so that the translation lock 400 and the lock catch 600 are locked together, and the translation lock 400 is in a locked state. Since the lock catch 600 is arranged on the sub-door 300, the main door 200 and the sub-door 300 are also locked together. The main door 200 continues to be opened, and the sub-door 300 is in a closed state, so as to prevent the items in the first storage space 110 from being taken out by inertia, and also to avoid the heat loss of the refrigerator 10.

[0049] When the main door 200 is closed, the sliding lock 400 moves toward the box body 100 driven by the main door 200, and the end of the sliding lock 400 close to the box body 100 contacts the unlocking portion 700, and the sliding lock 400 moves away from the lock buckle 600 under the action of the unlocking portion 700. Finally, when the main door 200 is completely closed, the sliding lock 400 and the lock buckle 600 are unlocked and in the unlocked position, and the main door 200 and the sub-door 300 are also unlocked.

[0050] Specifically, the translation lock 400 can be installed on the main door 200 so as to translate up and down. The elastic preload force applied by the elastic member 500 to the translation lock 400 is upward. The front side of the unlocking portion 700 has a guiding slope extending gradually from top to bottom and tilted backward. During the backward movement of the translation lock 400, its rear end gradually translates downward under the guidance of the guiding slope to reach the unlocking position.

[0051] When the main door 200 is closed, the translation lock 400 moves toward the box body 100 under the drive of the main door 200, and the rear end of the translation lock 400 hits the guiding slope. Since the guiding slope gradually extends backward from top to bottom, when the translation lock 400 continues to move backward, under the guidance of the guiding slope, the translation lock 400 moves downward. That is, the translation lock 400 is subjected to the downward component of the guiding slope, which prompts the translation lock 400 to move in the direction away from the lock buckle 600, and finally the translation lock 400 is disengaged from the lock buckle 600 and released.

[0052] Furthermore, after the main door 200 is completely closed, the rear end of the translation lock 400 completely passes through the guiding slope, and the entire translation lock 400 is located below the unlocking portion 700, and the translation lock 400 abuts against the unlocking portion 700. At this time, since the elastic member 500 is compressed during the movement of the translation lock 400, the elastic member 500 still provides an upward elastic preload force for the translation lock 400. Under the combined action of the elastic preload force and the unlocking portion 700, the translation lock 400 is in a balanced state to be firmly in the unlocking position.

[0053] See also Figure 3 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, a accommodating chamber 120 with an opening toward the translation lock 400 is opened on the front side of the box body 100, and the unlocking portion 700 is in the shape of a long strip extending downward from the upper wall of the accommodating chamber 120, and a guiding slope is formed on one side of the unlocking portion 700 relative to the translation lock 400.

[0054] That is, in this embodiment, the translation lock 400 can be arranged in the installation space 220 along the front-rear direction of the main door 200, and one end of the translation lock 400 extends toward the box body 100. When the main door 200 is in a fully closed state, the translation lock 400 can extend into the accommodating chamber 120, and is in an unlocked position under the joint action of the unlocking portion 700 and the elastic member 500, and the user can open the main door 200 or the auxiliary door 300 as needed.

[0055] When the main door 200 is gradually opened, the translation lock 400 moves in a direction away from the unlocking portion 700. When the rear end of the translation lock 400 moves to a position section that contacts the guiding inclined surface of the unlocking portion 700, the elastic member 500 causes the translation lock 400 to move upward to gradually approach the lock buckle 600, and finally the translation lock 400 is locked on the lock buckle 600, so that the translation lock 400 is in a locked position. In other words, when the user opens the main door 200, he only needs to move the main door 200 a small distance (i.e., pull out the part of the translation lock 400 that extends into the accommodating chamber 120) to achieve the locking of the main door 200 and the auxiliary door 300.

[0056] Of course, those skilled in the art can also achieve the above technical effects by making simple modifications according to the technical solution of the present disclosure. For example, the unlocking portion 700 can also be configured to extend upward from the lower wall of the accommodating chamber 120, and correspondingly, the elastic preload force applied by the elastic member 500 to the translation lock 400 is downward, that is, the translation lock 400 can be arranged above the unlocking portion 700, and the translation lock 400 is in the locked position after moving downward, and in the unlocked position after moving upward.

[0057] See also Figure 3 and Figure 5In some embodiments, the guide slope can be set to a smooth arc-shaped surface, and the rear end of the translation lock 400 forms an arc-shaped interference slope. When the guide slope and the interference slope collide with each other, the friction between them can be reduced, so that the guide slope can smoothly transition to the top of the translation lock 400.

[0058] In some embodiments, the lock buckle 600 extends in a horizontal direction and has a lock hole 610 thereon, and the translation lock 400 has a lock pin 410 that matches the lock hole 610. When the translation lock 400 is in a locked position, the lock pin 410 extends into the lock hole 610 to lock the secondary door 300 to the main door 200.

[0059] Specifically, an opening (not shown) may be provided at a position of the installation space 220 provided on the main door 200 facing the secondary door 300 and opposite to the lock catch 600, and the lock catch 600 extends horizontally along the main door 200. When the translation lock 400 is in the locked position, the lock catch 600 is inserted into the opening, so that the lock hole 610 is in the installation space 220, and at this time cooperates with the lock pin 410 to achieve the locking of the secondary door 300 to the main door 200.

[0060] When the translation lock 400 is in the unlocked position, the translation lock 400 moves away from the lock buckle 600, so that the lock pin 410 disengages from the lock hole 610, and the secondary door 300 and the main door 200 are unlocked. The user can now open the secondary door 300 and the main door 200 at will.

[0061] In some embodiments, the elastic member 500 is a compression spring, and the number of compression springs can be multiple. Multiple compression springs can be evenly arranged on the side of the translation lock 400 away from the lock pin 410, so that the translation lock 400 remains stable when moving. Multiple compression springs can also be arranged in the installation space 220, the first end of the elastic member 500 is connected to the translation lock 400, and the second end is directly connected to the main door 200, that is, the second end is directly connected to the inner wall of the installation space 220, and it is configured that when the translation lock 400 is in the unlocked position, the elastic member 500 is compressed and generates an elastic preload force, and the elastic preload force is used to urge the translation lock 400 to move toward the locked position during the opening process of the main door 200.

[0062] See also Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some other embodiments, the elastic member 500 can also be indirectly installed between the main door 200 and the translation lock 400 through the installation box 230. The installation box 230 is arranged in the installation space 220 along the front-to-back direction of the main door 200, and has a sleeve 232 on one side facing the translation lock 400. The number of the sleeves 232 is equal to the number of the compression springs, and the second end of the compression spring is sleeved on the sleeve 232.

[0063] In some embodiments, the translation lock 400 also has a pressing portion 420 extending toward the outside of the main door 200. The pressing portion 420 is configured to drive the translation lock 400 to translate in a direction away from the lock buckle 600 when the translation lock 400 is in a locked position, thereby releasing the lock between the secondary door 300 and the main door 200.

[0064] In this embodiment, when the user opens the main door 200, the sub-door 300 and the main door 200 will be in a locked state under the action of the translation lock 400. At this time, if the user needs to open the sub-door 300, he can use the operating pressing part 420 to disengage the translation lock 400 from the lock buckle 600, so as to open the sub-door 300 when the main door 200 is opened and the sub-door 300 and the main door 200 are in a locked state.

[0065] In some embodiments, door seals 240 are provided on the area opposite to the main door 200 and the box body 100, and on the area opposite to the main door 200 and the sub-door 300, so as to seal the gaps between the main door 200 and the sub-door 300, and between the main door 200 and the box body 100, so as to prevent external air from entering the first storage space 110 and the second storage space 210 when both the sub-door 300 and the main door 200 are in the closed state.

[0066] The working principle of the present invention is as follows: when the sub-door 300 and the main door 200 of the refrigerator 10 are both in a closed state, the rear end of the sliding lock 400 extends into the accommodating chamber 120 on the box body 100, and is located away from the lock buckle 600 under the action of the unlocking portion 700, that is, the sliding lock 400 is in a locked position, and the sub-door 300 and the main door 200 are not locked, and the user can open any one of them when both the sub-door 300 and the main door 200 are in a closed state.

[0067] When the user opens the main door 200, the sliding lock 400 is gradually pulled out, and the rear end of the sliding lock 400 contacts the unlocking part 700, and moves toward the lock buckle 600 under the guidance of the guiding slope of the unlocking part 700 and the driving of the elastic preload force of the elastic member 500, and finally the locking pin 410 of the sliding lock 400 extends into the locking hole 610 of the lock buckle 600, so that the sub-door 300 and the main door 200 are locked. This can prevent the sub-door 300 from being opened when the user opens the main door 200 alone, avoids the risk of items in the second storage space 210 being taken out, and improves the user experience.

[0068] When the user opens the main door 200 and then wants to open the sub-door 300, the sub-door 300 and the main door 200 are in a locked state. The user can manually operate the pressing part 420 to drive the translation lock 400 to move away from the lock buckle 600, and finally unlock the sub-door 300 and the main door 200, so as to open the sub-door 300 behind the main door 200.

[0069] At this point, those skilled in the art should recognize that, although multiple exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications that conform to the principles of the present invention can still be directly determined or derived based on the content disclosed in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood and recognized as covering all these other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising a box body, a main door rotatably mounted on the front side of the box body, and a secondary door rotatably mounted on the front side of the main door; the refrigerator further include: A translation lock, which is installed on the main door so as to be reciprocatingly translatable between a locking position and an unlocking position; an elastic member, mounted on the main door, configured to apply an elastic preload force to the translation lock to urge it to move toward the locking position; A lock buckle, arranged on the auxiliary door; and The unlocking part is arranged on the box body; and the refrigerator is configured as follows: When the main door is in an open state and the secondary door is in a closed state, the translation lock is in the locking position and locked with the lock catch, so that the secondary door is locked to the main door; and At the end of the secondary door moving backward with the main door to close, the unlocking part causes the translation lock to overcome the elastic preload force and move to the unlocking position, thereby releasing the lock between the secondary door and the main door; The translation lock can be installed on the main door so as to be able to translate up and down; The elastic preload force applied by the elastic member to the translation lock is upward; The front side of the unlocking portion has a guiding slope extending gradually from top to bottom and backward; During the backward movement of the translation lock, the rear end thereof gradually translates downward under the guidance of the guide slope to reach the unlocking position; A door seal is provided on the area where the main door faces the box body to seal the gap between the main door and the box body.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, in, After the main door is completely closed, the rear end of the translation lock abuts against the bottom of the unlocking portion to be firmly in the unlocking position.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, in, The front side of the box body is provided with a accommodating chamber opening toward the translation lock, and the unlocking portion is in the shape of a long strip extending downward from the upper wall of the accommodating chamber.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, in, The guiding inclined surface is an arc-shaped surface; and The rear end of the translation lock forms an arc-shaped interference slope to smoothly transition with the guide slope.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, in, The lock buckle extends in a horizontal direction and has a lock hole thereon; and The translation lock is provided with a lock pin which matches with the lock hole. When the translation lock is in the locking position, the lock pin extends into the lock hole so that the secondary door is locked to the main door.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, in, The elastic member is a compression spring, which is arranged on the side of the translation lock away from the lock pin, with a first end connected to the translation lock, and a second end directly or indirectly connected to the main door. It is configured such that when the translation lock is in the unlocking position, the elastic member is compressed and generates an elastic preload force, and the elastic preload force is used to urge the translation lock to move toward the locking position during the opening process of the main door.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, further comprising: include: The installation box is installed on the main door along the front-to-back direction. The installation box has a sleeve facing the translation lock, and the second end of the compression spring is sleeved on the sleeve.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, in, The translation lock also has a pressing portion extending toward the outside of the main door, and the pressing portion is configured to drive the translation lock to translate in a direction away from the lock buckle when the translation lock is in the locking position, so as to release the lock between the secondary door and the main door.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, in, A door seal is provided on the area where the main door and the auxiliary door face each other to seal the gap between the main door and the auxiliary door.

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